The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, together with the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Women’s Health (OSSAP-WH), has begun coordinating nationwide interventions to tackle key challenges facing Nigerian women.
Dr Adanna Steinacker, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Women’s Health, announced the initiative during a meeting with women leaders, women’s groups and NGOs in Abuja on Tuesday. The session was convened by the Ministry and facilitated by OSSAP-WH.
Steinacker said her office is taking a nationwide approach to ensure women’s health is central to national development.
She noted that OSSAP-WH was launched by President Bola Tinubu on September 11, 2025, alongside its flagship programme, RenewHER (Health, Equity and Reform). RenewHER aims to coordinate women’s health policies in partnership with the Ministries of Health and Women Affairs.
“RenewHER rests on three major pillars,” Steinacker explained. “The first is a digital media and advocacy hub. We recognized a wide knowledge gap on women’s and girls’ health, including how to access and understand available government services. Digital media will help us deliver accurate, evidence-based information to boost health literacy.”
The second pillar involves geopolitically anchored campaigns, run with the Ministry of Health, to identify and address region-specific priority issues. The third focuses on organizing coalitions, symposia and summits to build collaborative networks that advance women’s health across Nigeria.
Steinacker stressed the Ministry’s commitment to breaking down institutional silos and treating women’s health as a shared national agenda.
Dr Adedolapo Fasawe, Mandate Secretary, Health Services and Environment Secretariat, pledged full support for initiatives that promote women’s health and wellbeing.
